SOMOS Presents the 27th Annual 

TAOS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Saturday, October 11, 2025

With Sage Vogel, Celinda Reynolds Kaelin, Musician Chuy Martinez &  featured teller Eldrena Douma accompanied by a traditional Northern New Mexico dinner.

Make your plans now to attend the 27th annual Taos Storytelling Festival, October in Taos, New Mexico. View schedule→

About

2025 marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Taos Storytelling Festival, sponsored by SOMOS. The inaugural festival in 1999, held in a tent in Kit Carson Park over three days, has evolved to a single day event at Talpa Community Center, and other venues. The festival typically includes a community storytelling event, a Story Swap (free and hosted by a member of Storytellers of New Mexico), Storytelling-in-the-Schools, and an adult storytelling workshop presented by the headliner storyteller. Over the years, some of our featured storytellers (who have come from all parts of the United States and the world) have included Bil Lepp, Joe Hayes, Carmen Agra Deedy, Dovie Thomason, Cisco Guevara, Sarah Malone, Liz Mangual, Bob Kanegis, Kevin Kling, Terry Allen, Jo Harvey Allen, Antonio Rocha, Jerry Faires, Kuniko Yamamoto, Elaine Muray, Laura Simms, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Andy Offutt Irwin, Two Worlds, a Native Theater & Performing Arts group, and Minton Sparks.

Eldrina Douma

Storytelling was a way of life in Eldrena’s upbringing. She grew up in New Mexico and Arizona among the Pueblo tribes of the Laguna, Tewa & Hopi. Activities with family and friends included listening to songs and stories. Eldrena pursued and obtained her Master’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood education to impact the lives that surrounded her. Her experiences as a public school teacher and her unique Native upbringing benefited her tremendously as she began her next journey as a professional storyteller, author, and workshop presenter. In 1993, she was encouraged to teach through storytelling about her life experiences, sharing the history of the Pueblos and their contributions to our country. Eldrena travels the country offering captivating stories, a variety of recorded music, and historical accounts from Native American tribes. For example, a story presentation, “Bison, Bison,” gives insight into the history of the bison. A workshop, “Creative Spirit,” focuses on imagination, listening, and story crafting using creative thinking. A lecture, “Nampeyo, Her Legacy,” showcases her revival of Hopi pottery. In 2014, the Tejas Storytelling Association awarded Eldrena with the state’s prestigious John Henry Faulk Award for her significant contribution to the art of storytelling in the southwest. Photo by Katy Pair. Contact Eldrena or Visit Eldrena’s Website

Celinda Reynolds Kaelin

Sage Vogel

Sage Vogel is a lifelong storyteller and bilingual wordsmith. He is the author of the short story collection Dichos en Nichos published by UNM Press, and the underground magical realism epic El Ocio.

He is based in northern New Mexico and resides in a compound of melting adobe ruins called Babilonia, which is under perpetual reconstruction.  His debut story collection invites readers into the heart of a “proverbial” 1950s Northern New Mexico village, where the fruit orchards, arroyo roads, adobe homes, and even pigsties hold tales of wit, romance, woe, and wisdom.

Dichos en Nichos contains ten interconnected stories inspired by original dichos—pithy folk sayings and proverbs. Vogel’s dichos—presented in Spanish and English—are shared among a colorful cast of characters. The dichos offer guidance, caution, and comfort as the townsfolk navigate themes of identity, community, loss, and love. From tales of sacrifice and survival to those of intimacy and independence, each story is a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

Chuy Martinez is a skilled musician and natural storyteller who has performed all over New Mexico. He grew up all over the United States as a migrant farm worker and became part of the United Farm Workers Union. Chuy was inspired by the work Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta were doing In the 1960s and 70s, Mexican-American civil rights activists struggled for change. The Chicano Movement called itself La Causa (The Cause) and was most active in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and California. Chuy Martinez brings the music and history alive in the stirring songs learned in migrant camps and meetings.